Objective: There is a need for an ideal polishing system for resin composite restorations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of polishing instruments on the surface texture of light-cured resin composites. Methods and materials: Four polishing systems—Compomaster (Shofu), Silicone Points C Type (Shofu), Super-Snap (Shofu), and Enhance Finishing and Polishing System (Dentsply/DeTrey)—were used to polish the flat surface of cylindrical blocks made of 3 different resin composites: Beautifil (Shofu), Clearfil AP-X (Kuraray Medical), and Lite-Fil II A (Shofu). The average surface roughness (Ra) and surface gloss (Gs60°) were determined. Scanning electron microscopic observations of the polished specimens were made. The polished samples were immersed in a 0.3% acid rhodamine B solution for 1 week, and change in color was determined. Results: The multiple-step systems, Enhance and Super-Snap, resulted in the best surface finishes. A new single-step point, Compomaster, ranked third in surface finish but was significantly better than the older point system, Silicone Points C. The color-staining experiments showed that there were no significant differences between the Compomaster system and the multiple-step systems, which were all significantly better than the older polishing point. Conclusion: The newly introduced 1-step polishing point has the ability to polish resin composites as effectively as multistep polishing systems.
(Quintessence Int 2006;37:61–67)